The Hummel Quest Tales: GW Panther
by autophagy
Summary: A couple of chapters about the Himmelsdorf team's GW Panther and her overly attached AMX 13 75 companion. These stories are a series of bits and pieces of background stories for the characters of my main story (The Hummel Quest), so they won't make a lot of sense on their own. Contains minor spoilers if you haven't reached the Himmelsdorf chapters yet.
1. Chapter 1

[Himmelsdorf.]

The climb was tedious, but the view was worth it. She stopped in front of the small wall that outlined the hilltop. With the snow-covered city below her being dead, there were no lights to obstruct the stars and the air felt clean and fresh. If she hadn't known that it was full of radiation, she would have never guessed. Made of metal, it didn't affect them. But she knew that she would never be able to forget the sight of the effects on organic beings; animal carcasses with burnt hides, abominations. Pictures that would forever be stuck in her memory.

Everything around them was crumbling reminders. Silent witnesses of a catastrophe that she had barely missed. She knew that she could be glad for that, but sometimes she wondered if being wiped out would have been a more merciful fate than entering this world as one of the generation that rose from the ashes immediately afterwards.

The G.W. Panther's train of thought got interrupted as she sensed that she wasn't alone anymore. Well, it had taken him long enough.

"You can come out. I know that you're here" she said without turning around. A certain French light tentatively left the shadow of the castle's walls, driving up to her but keeping a respectful distance.  
"I'm sorry" he mumbled, but she knew very well that he wasn't. It was pathetic how he was still trying to hide his intentions, despite being so painfully obvious about them. She had played his game for long enough, and was starting to get fed up.

"We've known each other for so long now. Are you finally going to ask me this time?" she said.

He started inching towards her, but the courage seemed to leave him halfway. The Panther finished what he had started. She turned around all the way to face him and moved up to his side, getting so much closer than ever before.

"_Oh mon chéri. Je sais que tu m'as besoin dans ta vie. Ne peux vivre sans moi._ Isn't that true?" she whispered, and it made her voice sound haunting, causing a shiver to run through his chassis.

He dropped his gaze and didn't answer. She only gave him a long, unreadable look. "You have nothing to offer me and you know it. So what do you want?"

The AMX continued to stay silent. She was right; he knew that he was only fooling himself. But he couldn't help but feel the way he felt. Just being near her was the most he could ever hope for, and he would have never dared to expect any more.

"Do you want me to leave you alone?" he asked eventually with lumps in his fuel lines.  
She didn't deign to look at him any longer, turning away and going back to staring into the nightly sky instead. "I don't care if you follow me around or not" she said plainly, "And even if I told you not to, you would do it anyway."

He nodded glumly but then raised his voice again. "Can I know your name at least?"  
The SPG gave a quiet chuckle before she replied.  
"No."

Neither of them spoke another word afterwards.


	2. Chapter 2

_[My boredom at work reached a level where I dug up this old story and added a chapter that kinda leads up to the main story's Himmelsdorf chapters. Enjoy!]_

«Panther!» Eohelm called out, «Scout rushing you!»

The GW Panther stopped aiming immediately, her sights darting about in fear of a light tank coming for her.  
"I'm reloading!" she cried out, tried to hurry, but she had just fired.  
She backed up, bumping into one of the small buildings that were scattered across the railroad. Before she could reverse past it, she heard the loud rev of an engine pushed to the limit. The scout was coming right at her, and a hail of machine gun fire sprayed her and her surroundings.

The bullets flew through her armor as if it wasn't even there and she yelped in pain.  
Suddenly there was a rush of bright colors in front of her, blocking most of the shots and shooting back.

She looked up and recognized the AMX. Of course it would be _him_.

Finally, her gun was reloaded, and she shot over the smaller tank, turning the enemy scout into little bits of shrapnel.  
Both of them stared at the wreck for a moment; then the AMX turned around, smiling at her. It was an incredibly pained smile, as was obvious from the way the enemy fire had completely perforated his front.

"I was going to take care of it for you" the AMX said shakily.  
The Panther frowned at him.  
"I had it under control" she replied coldly and turned back to watching the battle. The AMX was still looking at her – she felt his gaze – and she switched to her normal sights, glaring at him.  
Was he waiting for her to thank him for doing his job?

"What are you looking at? Go back to your position!" she barked.

A transmission from their T-150 for assistance emphasized her words and the light dropped his gaze with obvious disappointment before he raced off.

The rest of the battle went over quickly and without any more dangerous situations for the GW Panther; as always, the Himmelsdorf team managed to fend off the invaders.

She was in a rather pitiful state. Her armor looked terrible, but a first aid inspection showed that the damage was mostly superficial. Still, she felt miserable, and she let everyone else feel it by being extra insufferable to anyone who dared to look at or talk to her. Just the AMX didn't seem to get it. He followed her around, and shooting a car next to him did only achieve that he followed from a greater distance.

It was always like this. As if he had nothing better to do all day than watch over her….watch her….or whatever. The Panther didn't even want to know.

Right then she was strolling through the town in an attempt to distract herself from her painful injuries when a tank suddenly appeared from behind a building corner.

She stopped and looked at Axis, the Jackson that was approaching her.  
'_What does _he_ want?_' she thought, exasperated at the sight of a team mate already.  
"Hey." Axis said, "What's up?"  
The Panther snorted derisively.  
"The sky" she said.  
Axis laughed.  
"Hello, sunshine" he said; then he turned serious.

"Actually, I need to talk to you…" He trailed off and looked past her, at the AMX who was half-hiding a few meters away.  
"Can you leave us alone for a moment?" the Jackson asked him.

The AMX looked like he was about to yell 'NO', but instead just glared at him for a moment before he left.  
"Jeez. Never met anyone that jealous" Axis sighed.  
"Like a growth" the Panther commented.  
"Ehrm yeah. That's why I'm here…"  
"Because of him?"  
"Among other things…You know, people are starting to…" he hemmed and hawed.  
"Get to the point" the Panther said deadpan.

"They're considering kicking you out."

She stared. Her expression didn't hide the shock she felt. Kicking her out? How could they?! She was speechless.  
Axis took it upon himself to fill the sudden silence.  
"Nothing is decided yet" he said quickly, "No one said it out loud. But people are talking, you knoe, and the mood is a rather negative one…"

The GW Panther shook her cannon incredulously. She couldn't believe it.  
"But I'm doing my job! They won't find a better SPG than me!" she cried.  
"Yeah, but that's not it" Axis said, "It's cause….welllll…."  
"The. Point."  
"Can't you just try to be a bit nicer? No offense, but…you're in a really bad mood most of the time – people don't like that. They want everyone to work together as a team and get-"  
Before he could finish, the Panther cut him off.  
"I don't care if I _get along_ with these idiots! Who told you to talk to me?! That T29?!" she yelled. Axis ducked a little under her wrath.

"Kinda, yeah…" he mumbled.  
"Get lost! And tell him he can kiss my exhaust pipe!" the Panther spat, and Axis used his speed to get out of there quickly.

She would have loved to shoot after him, but what he had said had actually left an impression on her. She had had no idea that her team mates were planning something like this. But maybe she should have known.

The AMX had returned and was sticking his turret out from behind a pile of rubble, cautiously inching closer as she showed no signs of chasing him away.

"He's setting them against me" she said quietly, dryly.  
"Who is?" the light asked.  
The Panther looked at the ground.  
"The T29. And possibly others. They want to kick me…"  
Just like she had been, the AMX was shocked. He gasped.  
"What? They can't do that!"

She laughed her bitter laugh.  
"Tell that to them! He's making everyone hate me! They listen to him, he's like the boss here!" she said.  
"Isn't there…anything you could do?" the AMX asked.  
The Panther shook her cannon.  
"I'll have to think of something…" she said, "Before it's too late."

The AMX nodded and she drove on, with him following closely this time.


End file.
